Marc Gasol says he has to “renew my vows every day” as he deals with the most difficult season since his rookie year. In an interview with Grind City Media’s Michael Wallace, Gasol stressed that “it is a damn job,” and he must stay professional. MikeCheck on Grizzlies: The mindset of Marc Gasol as Grizz […]

Grizzlies forward James Ennis is headed to Detroit in a trade for youngster Brice Johnson and a second-round pick, according to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski: Memphis has traded James Ennis to Detroit for Brice Johnson and a second-round pick, league sources tells ESPN. — Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2018 The 23-year-old Johnson just recently joined […]

With season averages of 19.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 5.0 rebounds, Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans is understandably one of the most coveted available players at this year’s deadline. It has been previously reported that four teams – the Sixers, Celtics, Nuggets, and Heat – are in pursuit of Evans, but according to USA Today‘s Sam […]

With season averages of 19.5 points, 5.0 assists, and 5.0 rebounds, Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans is understandably one of the most coveted available players at this year’s deadline.

It has been previously reported that four teams – the Sixers, Celtics, Nuggets, and Heat – are in pursuit of Evans, but according to USA Today‘s Sam Amick, there are actually seven teams in the running to land him:

The Grizzlies are widely expected to find a home for Evans, as evidenced by the fact that they sidelined him on Wednesday as a way of protecting their asset. While Philadelphia, Boston, and Denver are known to be interested, there are – according to a person with knowledge of the situation – seven teams in the running in all. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because trade talks aren’t shared publicly.

“I wanted to just come out and play hard, being very limited in my knowledge of our offense,” Griffin said. “I thought Coach [Stan] Van Gundy did a great job of just putting in five things that we could go to, and we ran them to death, but they worked and everybody just played hard.”

Griffin did have one snafu in his debut, forgetting his jersey and not being able to start the third quarter.

“I’m just going to blame it on the new environment and my track record; I’ve never done that before,” Griffin said. “I went to take my shirt off and I knew something didn’t feel right. I pulled it off and I saw I only had my undershirt on. I just needed Anthony Tolliver to get a stop for me.”

Evans is averaging 19.5 points a game on 45.8 percent shooting along with five assists and five rebounds, and the Grizz are said to be looking for a first-round draft pick in a swap for the 28-year-old.

“He was a great piece. He brought tremendous things to us as a team,” Grizzlies center Marc Gasol said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. But we as players have to concentrate on what we have to do on the floor.”

The Bucks, Sixers, Celtics, Nuggets and Pelicans are among those who’ve reportedly expressed interest.

“He’s been a great professional for us. He’s performed at an extremely high level,” Grizzlies interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “He wanted to fight with this group. He didn’t ask to be put in this situation … He’s a mature guy so he understands it. But he didn’t want to be absent from the group.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/tyreke-evans-sitting-trade-deadline/feed/02017 NBAEMEMPHIS, TN - DECEMBER 23: Tyreke Evans #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on during the game against the LA Clippers on December 23, 2017 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)Report: Sixers Interested In Tyreke Evans Tradehttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/sixers-interested-tyreke-evans-trade/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/sixers-interested-tyreke-evans-trade/#respondWed, 31 Jan 2018 16:51:17 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=476558

The Philadelphia 76ers have reportedly expressed interest in trading for Grizzlies wing Tyreke Evans. According to the NYT‘s Marc Stein, Philly is reluctant to give up a first-round pick, while Memphis is hesitant to take Jerryd Bayless‘ salary in return. The Sixers have expressed trade interest in Tyreke Evans, according to league sources, but Memphis […]

According to the NYT‘s Marc Stein, Philly is reluctant to give up a first-round pick, while Memphis is hesitant to take Jerryd Bayless‘ salary in return.

The Sixers have expressed trade interest in Tyreke Evans, according to league sources, but Memphis continues to seek a first-round pick in an Evans deal and Philly is naturally reluctant to surrender it

According to the Commercial Appeal, the Memphis Grizzlies may “have approached” Chandler Parsons about an injury retirement.

Should have tweeted several days ago what I heard about Mike Conley needing surgery… Not confirmed but hearing that Grizzlies have approached Chandler Parsons' people about injury retirement (of course, they will deny).

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley will require season-ending surgery to “smooth a small bone protrusion in his left heel”, per Memphis GM Chris Wallace.

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace announces in email moments ago to MVP season-ticket holders that Mike Conley will require season-ending surgery “to smooth a small bone protrusion” in his left heel. Conley is expected to make a full recovery ahead of training camp.

Conley has appeared in just 12 games this season, last taking the court on Nov. 13. He has reportedly been around the team while receiving treatment on the heel, but the pain has not gone away.

Conley has been around the team throughout the process, and interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said his presence has been an emotional boost, particularly for younger players. Conley has insisted that the heel/bone issues is not related to the Achilles issue he had two seasons ago.

More Chris Wallace: “So, what does that mean for the balance of this season, which to date has not gone as we had planned and hoped? Simply put, we are committed to playing hard and playing the right way night in and night out, while developing our young talent …”

“I don’t know how you can ask that of players and a team and a coach,” Gasol said. “Obviously, we’re emotionally invested and we work every day toward one goal, and that’s to win games. It’s impossible for us to think that way.”

As far as tanking goes, this would be the right circumstance for the Grizzlies to exercise the strategy. The 2018 draft is widely considered to be loaded with top-notch talent among the first 10 picks.

“My job is not allowing that to happen,” Gasol said. “My job is not allowing anyone to throw away the season. Because at 32, 33 next month, I don’t have a season to throw away. I don’t have those. I don’t have that luxury. I’m not 23, 24, where I can just say, `Well, next year it’s going to be better.’ I have that sense of urgency and desire to win… I hope that during the next five, six weeks before the break that the situation has completely changed, turned around, and we are a much more consistent team going forward.”

A buy-sell provision in the ownership agreement between Pera and minority owners Steve Kaplan and Daniel Straus was exercised last week, sources told The Athletic.

Both minority owners had the right to invoke the clause starting in late October, which allows one or both of them to set a new valuation for the franchise that sold for $377 million in 2012.

Pera, who is being represented by CAA in the process, will have to decide whether to buy out Kaplan and/or Straus to keep control of the team or sell his shares at the set price and remove himself from the ownership group.

Wallace says the Grizz (7-13) will continue to move “full speed ahead” in their chase of a postseason berth.

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace rules out shift to rebuilding: "We believe in this team. … We're behind in the standings right now, but it's a long way to go. When we get our guys back, I think we'll surge." https://t.co/RLly1cDQVt

“We have no intention to trade Marc,” Wallace told ESPN when asked if the franchise might consider dealing the 32-year-old big man. “We never seriously considered that at all. We never placed any calls to any teams in that regard. So that’s not happening.

“It’s not just Marc that this whole equation is about. It’s also Mike Conley, when he comes back. We’ve got two guys among the elite in the league at their respective positions that are still very much in their window with an awful lot of tread left on their tires.”

Conley, 30, has missed the past seven games due to soreness in his left Achilles tendon and heel, and the team announced Wednesday that he would return in two to three weeks.

“We’re full speed ahead,” Wallace said. “We’ve been in the playoffs seven years in a row. We’ve got a team when fully healthy and we get everything together is more athletic, more versatile and more potent offensively than we’ve had for a number of years. Even though the going has been a little difficult early, there’s still 62 [games] to play. We believe in this team. We’re hoping — got our fingers crossed — that we’ll get everybody healthy soon. Our expectation always is to be a playoff team and have a chance to do some things when we get in there. We’re behind in the standings right now, but it’s a long way to go. When we get our guys back, I think we’ll surge.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/grizzlies-gm-no-intention-trade-marc-gasol/feed/02017 Wesley HittMEMPHIS, TN - OCTOBER 26: Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies jogs down the court during a game against the Dallas Mavericks at the FedEx Forum on October 26, 2017 in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. The Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks 96-91. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)The Realesthttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/tony-allen-feature/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/tony-allen-feature/#respondWed, 29 Nov 2017 21:23:28 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=467371

The godfather of Memphis’ “Grit ’n Grind” mentality, Tony Allen used his ambition to carve out a role as a hard-nosed defender.

It’s 7:30 p.m. on his night off and Tony Allen—aka The Grindfather—is out proving how he got his nickname.

Allen is putting in work at the New Orleans Pelicans practice facility, where the parking lot is practically empty, it’s pitch black outside, and the inside is library quiet.

The previous night, the Pels beat the reigning Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Cavaliers to reach .500 for the first time since the 2014-15 season. After the final buzzer, Allen rushed out to the facility to get shots up, ’cause, as he likes to say, “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.”

“I want to show you the grind,” Allen says while he puts on his shirt inside a barren Pelicans locker room. “A lot of motherfuckers talk about the grind, but I want to show you.”

Allen has never averaged more than 11.5 points in a season, never grabbed more than 5.5 rebounds per game. But he’s spent the last 14 years bullying opposing ballplayers to the point where Kobe Bryant said he’s the best defender he ever faced. He’s the personification of grit, not glitz.

And while he’s best known for screaming “First Team All-Defense” during a 2015 playoff matchup with the Golden State Warriors, the one phrase he keeps repeating is drenched in humility: “Coming from where I come from.”

“I never ever want to go back,” he says of his childhood neighborhood. “Seeing some of my homeboys in wheelchairs now and seeing some of my guys who can’t even walk the same—they were in areas where shootings can happen at any time.”

Allen was born in Chicago in 1982 and spent most of his upbringing on 95th Street and Princeton Avenue in the Southside part of the city. Allen describes it as a “real rough neighborhood” and fell into a life of crime at a young age.

“You name it, I did everything under the sun,” he says. “I never was a thief, [I was] more trying to hustle. Not scam—hustle. Move drugs. That’s the reality of my situation.”

Once in high school, Allen quickly gave up on academics. He didn’t have the grades to play sports during his freshman and sophomore years, so he’d roam the halls, hitting all the lunch periods, looking for someone with money that he could play dice with. That summer, he decided he was going to drop out of school, help his cousin hustle on the streets and start his “adult life.”

Allen spent so much time away from home, he came back one day to find his mother Ella had moved, refusing to live with him and enable his behavior. He had to find out through family that she had taken off for the Chicago’s West Side and would not tell her son the address until he proved he was in school and staying out of trouble.

That led to what Allen calls his “cold summer.”

The days became a never-ending cycle of hustling, running from the police, getting guns pulled on him, getting in fights, getting shot at and police raids. A gruesome scar that was the result of getting pushed through a window during a fight covers most of his left forearm, a constant reminder of that low part of his life.

Then came rock bottom. Allen and his crew were out selling drugs in a neighborhood they weren’t supposed to be in. They were shot at. One of his friends returned fire and hit the initial shooter.

After fleeing the scene, Allen thought he was home safe. Then retaliation arrived.

“I was sitting on the porch,” he says. “I thought it was over with. All of a sudden I saw 50 guys walk in front of me, like, ‘Who’s the chief in command over here?’ I’m like, Hold on, I’ll go get him. Just don’t do anything to me. That’s when I knew that wasn’t going to be [the end of] my life, ’cause they could’ve easily retaliated. I was like, That was too close.”

Literally the next day, Allen’s life completely changed. He decided to go to a local Pro-Am where he heard NBA players and Chicago natives like Quentin Richardson, Antoine Walker and Michael Finley would be playing. He brought his gear just in case someone needed an extra body. Luckily, a buddy of his asked if he wanted to play, to which Allen responded, “Hell yeah.”

Future NBA player Will Bynum was also in the house and familiar with Allen from when they played together as third graders. He told Allen to attend Crane High School and play with him.

With Allen’s past, he had to attend school from 7:30-4:30 every day to get a diploma, but grinding was never his issue. After enrolling in school, he called his mother to finally convince her that he was turning over a new leaf and should be allowed to move back. Ella told him her address, and as if it was fate, she was living just four blocks from Crane.

Since Allen never played AAU ball, he wasn’t a known commodity to college recruiters. A friend told him to try out at Butler Community College in El Dorado, KS, and Allen took his first-ever flight down to play in a scrimmage at the school. Afterward, the coach asked T.A. to sign a letter of intent. He immediately called his mother to let her know her son was a college boy.

“Momma, I love getting on planes, and guess what else? I’m fitting to go to college,” Allen told her over the phone. Her response: “Get the hell out of here.”

“She didn’t believe me!” he says now.

After getting in trouble at Butler—he politely declined to elaborate on what happened—Allen transferred to Wabash Valley College in Illinois, the then-reigning junior college national champions, for the 2001-02 season.

From there, he started getting looks from a handful of DI colleges, but Oklahoma State showed the most interest. Allen decided to attend OK State for his junior and senior seasons and, during his final year on campus, was named Big 12 Player of the Year en route to a 2004 Final Four appearance. There, Allen and the Cowboys fell to Georgia Tech on a last-second layup from none other than Will Bynum.

“I couldn’t believe it,” Allen says. “It was just a dream come true for us to both be in the Final Four together. Nobody could write that story.“

Allen entered the ’04 NBA Draft and was selected 25th overall by the Celtics. Once in Boston, he was given advice from his head coach and fellow Chi native, Doc Rivers, that changed the path of his career.

“Doc Rivers was always telling me, ‘Defense is going to be your niche, son. You’re going to stay in this league 10-15 years off defense. Trust me. This is your niche, son.’ I believed him,” Allen says.

In Boston, Allen teamed up with Paul Pierce, a player whom he admired from afar and had played as during games of NBA Live 99 on Sony PlayStation.

Allen impressed enough during the beginning of his rookie year that reporters began to ask him about making the 2005 Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star Weekend in Denver. “I remember telling reporters, I really don’t know. I’m really focused on winning ballgames,” Allen says. “I said, I’m not worried about it, and [Pierce] said, ‘Man, quit lying. You know you’d love to play in the [Rising Stars Challenge]. Matter of fact, you make the game, you can have this watch.’ It was a $30,000 Jacob [and Co.].”

Allen ended up making the game. And Pierce ended up gifting him that watch.

T.A. was a member of Boston’s 2008 championship team and stayed with the franchise until 2010, when he inked a deal with a promising Memphis Grizzlies team.

“Memphis was fitting to be something special,” Allen says. “I saw that way before I got there. But when I got there, they didn’t see that in me. Not at first. I had to make them believers as time went on.”

Allen initially struggled to get consistent PT because Memphis was trying to develop its 2010 lottery pick, guard Xavier Henry. Then, during a February 2011 matchup with the Thunder, T.A. scored 27 points and guarded Kevin Durant in an OT win. Following the performance, Allen took a subliminal shot at a teammate who decided he didn’t want to play that night.

That subliminal turned into a way of life for the Grizzlies franchise.

“All heart, grit and grind.”

A few weeks later, Henry suffered a knee injury that caused him to sit for an extended amount of time, giving Allen the opportunity he’d been waiting for.

“He always told young players, ‘Stay ready so you don’t have to get ready,’” says Chris Vernon, a Memphis radio personality and friend of Allen. “He got his chance, was shot out a cannon, and the rest is history.”

A few years later in the 2015 playoffs, the nation got a real taste of Allen’s blue collar bravado, which had already become legendary in Memphis. Against the No. 1-seeded Warriors, Allen was mic’d up by TNT. After stealing the ball away from Klay Thompson, Allen looked at his teammates, put a single finger in the air and yelled what has become his catchphrase: “First-Team All Defense.” The All-Defensive teams hadn’t even been announced yet. Allen didn’t care.

“I don’t know what possessed me to do that,” Allen says. “I guess it was the fact that I thought I got snubbed the year before. [2014 was the only year he hadn’t made the First or Second All-Defensive team since 2011.—Ed.] I knew I was one of the top five defenders in the world. That’s a fact. So I was just saying facts.”

This past offseason, Allen left Memphis to sign with New Orleans, where he’s imparting his wisdom on a promising Pelicans team. But his heart, legacy and No. 9 jersey will always be with Memphis. During the preseason, the Grizz announced his number will eventually be retired—news that brought Allen to tears. T.A. got a standing ovation when he returned to The Grindhouse in October.

The 35-year-old Allen thinks he might play two more years in the NBA. After he retires, in an ideal world, he’d work his way up to one day becoming head coach of the Grizzlies.

“I love the city as much as the city loves me,” Allen says about Memphis. “I just gave them the real me, and they embraced the real me.”

S/O Coach Fizdale u can’t want it more than the players u coach. Can’t go to war with no soldiers. How u expect him to win with no dogs on his team and PG hurt. Fixed fight if u tell me. Fire chandler Parsons. #GBG Truth Hurts.

Then when Parsons responded, he posted a screenshot of it.

He captioned that photo with:

This is not a beef. I have passion for the game and I Love this game. I hate to see it not appreciated. I hate to see a good coach get fired bkuz he cares more than the players. Facts. All basketball players ain’t kool I can count my NBA Real brothers on my hands. Facts. Not a yes man. #GBG it ain’t just him. It a lot that don’t care. Respect it or check it. Love to all. Get healthy though @chandlerparsons. 🤔

Parsons hasn’t ever had a healthy season. His career high for games played is 76, in 2013-14, his second year in the League. He played in only 34 games last year for the Grizzlies after signing a $94-million contract last summer.

The Grizzlies are in the midst of an eight-game losing streak and they fired their head coach, David Fizdale, yesterday.

Fizdale took over as head coach last season and led the team to a 43-39 record and a playoff berth. Memphis started this season 7-4, but have lost eight straight, including a 98-88 loss to Brooklyn last night. Following last night’s game, franchise center Marc Gasol let it be known that he was upset with being benched in the fourth quarter and said that the Grizzlies’ coaching staff “knew that would hurt me the most.” Fizdale joins current Kings coach Dave Joerger as head coaches who have been fired by Memphis since 2016.

Gasol said he was never given an explanation by anyone on the coaching staff, and called the benching an “awkward situation.”

“I don’t like it one bit,” Gasol said. “I’m more (angry) than I can show, and frustrated. But for the benefit of the team, I’ve got to show good leadership and continue to do my job.”

Fizdale said he wasn’t trying to send a message to Gasol.

“We’ll address it if it needs to be addressed but it was a pretty simple decision what I did,” Fizdale said. “It’s nothing against him,” Fizdale said. “I’m trying to win a game. I’m desperate. I took a risk. Sometimes when you take a risk you may (upset) a player or two. That’s part of this position. I can own the decision and I have my reasons why. Winning is my only priority.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/marc-gasol-upset-fourth-quarter-benching/feed/02017 NBAEMEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 1: Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies stands for the national anthem prior to the game against the Orlando Magic on November 1, 2017 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)Report: Mike Conley Out Indefinitely With Achilles Sorenesshttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/mike-conley-out-indefinitely-achilles/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/mike-conley-out-indefinitely-achilles/#respondFri, 17 Nov 2017 21:34:50 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=466023

Kevin Durant, jawing at referees in Curry’s defense, also was kicked out. As they sauntered toward the visitors’ locker room, a sellout FedEx Forum crowd of 17,794 rained down boos. Durant, flanked by a team security guard, turned toward a group of fans and pointed to his ring finger.

What most concerns head coach Kerr is that the joy that typically perpetuates Golden State’s locker room isn’t so common these days. Before the Warriors can return to their winning ways, they must recapture the fun that drives them.

“I’m not doing a great job of putting together combinations, finding the right ways to get guys going, to get some joy and laughter in here,” Kerr said. “It’s just one of those rough patches. Hopefully we can climb our way out of it. I’m sure we will.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/steve-kerr-mocks-potential-stephen-curry-suspension/feed/02017 Sean GardnerNEW ORLEANS, LA - OCTOBER 20: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after scoring a three pointer during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on October 20, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Golden State Warriors won the game 128 - 120. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)Chandler Parsons Rips ‘Tasteless’ Grizzlies Fans For Booing Himhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/chandler-parsons-tasteless-grizzlies-fans-booing-him/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/chandler-parsons-tasteless-grizzlies-fans-booing-him/#respondThu, 19 Oct 2017 16:56:27 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=462070

“That’s the thing. I never really was doing that for no notoriety. I never was trying to be in your paper, your latest magazine. I was doing it just playing hard, playing the right way, trying to win.”

“I never cared about the fanciness and the All-Star games. All I wanted to be known for was being one of the greatest defenders to ever play the game.

“And I just thank Memphis for allowing me the opportunity to be able to play. And that’s that.”

Mike Conley may go down as the most underappreciated player of this generation. Entering his tenth season with the Grizzlies, Conley has never been an All-Star, even though he has led Memphis to the playoffs seven straight times (Conley missed the ’16 playoffs with an Achilles’ tendon injury).

Conley, at this point in his career, is best known for inking a massive 5-year $153 million dollar deal that made him the highest-paid player in the history of the NBA during the summer of 2016. The general reaction from fans and those who follow the League was basically, “What the hell?” The point guard responded by having the best year of his career, averaging 20.5 points and 6.3 assists, while shooting 46 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range. Memphis finished 49-39, good enough for seventh in the West. In the first round of the playoffs, Conley elevated his game, scoring 24.7 points and dishing out 7.0 assists in a six-game series against the Spurs.

So what’s next for the Conley, and the Grizzlies, in general?

At age 29, Conley is playing at the highest level of his career. He has not played in 70 games since the 2014-15 season and with Memphis sporting a bench that consists of guards Wade Baldwin IV, Mario Chalmers and Andrew Harrison, the Grizz need Conley to stay healthy, and keep posting career-best numbers, in a bad way.

The Grizzlies are in a curious position in that they are transitioning from the Grit-N-Grind era into a rebuild on the fly. This past offseason, they inked Chalmers, Tyreke Evans and Ben McLemore to short-term deals and said goodbye to Zach Randolph, Vince Carter and Tony Allen.

For a team that hasn’t missed the playoffs in nearly a decade, anything short of a berth would be a failure, but with Conley and Gasol, and coach David Fizdale, the team has at least a fighting chance for a spot in the loaded West.

Of course, any positive contribution from Chandler Parsons, who has unfortunately been slowed by injuries since signing with the team, would boost Memphis’ chances.

As far as the elusive All-Star berth, Conley will forever be fighting an uphill battle in the West. Playing in a smaller market certainly doesn’t do him any favors, but either does playing in a conference where Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, James Harden, Chris Paul, and Damian Lillard all dwell.

All-Star or not, Conley has solidified himself as one of the top floor generals in the League and Memphis will need him more than ever if they are going to make a run.

Per CBS Sports, Memphis is committed to building around Gasol and Conley, with both players locked into their contracts for multiple years.

The Memphis Grizzlies consider All-Star center Marc Gasol “untouchable” and have refused to enter his name in any trade conversations, two sources close to the situation told CBS Sports this week. […]

Typically, the idea that Gasol could be available stems from the perception that Memphis has lost momentum and “needs” a rebuild.

The Grizzlies, in reality, have made the playoffs the past seven years, and their decision to re-sign both Gasol and Mike Conley (who is also considered “untouchable” according to sources) was made with the intention of building around the duo long-term.

The Grizzlies organization has not interfered with the coach’s social activism.

Per NBA.com:

So Fizdale spoke out, and continues to speak out, against the presence of two statues in the city — of former Confederate president Jefferson Davis and of Nathan Bedford Forrest, who amassed a personal fortune in the slave trade before the Civil War before becoming a general in the Confederate army, an early scion of post-Civil War Memphis and one of the first members of the Ku Klux Klan, rising to a position of authority in that odious organization.

“My agenda is simple — I want those things out of our city, out of public view,” Fizdale said by phone Saturday.

“I’m not even saying tear them up and melt them down,” he said. “Put them in their proper context in history. Their proper context is in a civil rights museum, where you could put them in context and talk about how awful they were. I just feel our citizens should not have to see that involuntarily. You have Sun Studios (where Elvis Presley and other early rock n’ rollers cut their records) on one side of the (Health Services) Park and the University of Tennessee Medical School on the other side. How is that a good look, with people eating their lunches down there and people come down to that area to sightsee?”

No one from the team has asked Fizdale to tone it down.

“I think they support me for the most part,” he said. “Obviously, it’s edgy. It makes people uncomfortable. But that’s good. I want people to be uncomfortable. Our owner (Robert Pera), the owner of FedEx, our white owners of all the companies in the city, they’re the ones who have to step up and clean this out of our city. Money talks. What says more than people stepping up and saying ‘we’re not going to have this in our city?’ People have stepped up and bought tickets and supported them. I’m asking them to support us.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/rasheed-wallace-zach-randolph-aint-no-dope-dealer/feed/02012 NBAEMEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 16: Zach Randolph #50 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks to rebound against Rasheed Wallace #36 of the New York Knicks on November 16, 2012 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)Ben McLemore Out 12 Weeks with Broken Foothttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/ben-mclemore-12-weeks-foot-surgery/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/ben-mclemore-12-weeks-foot-surgery/#respondTue, 08 Aug 2017 19:10:51 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=453549

Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace announced that guard Ben McLemore has been diagnosed with a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. The injury occurred when he landed on another player’s foot after driving to the basket during a pick-up game in Los Angeles.

McLemore underwent successful surgery and will be out an estimated 12 weeks. He is expected to make a full recovery.

Evans, now 27, played his lone season of college ball with the Memphis Tigers. Back in 2008-09, he averaged 17 points per game. Since winning Rookie of the Year in 2010 with the Kings, Evans has bounced around to the Pelicans and then back to the Kings.

He played in only 40 games last season between New Orleans and Sacramento, averaging 10 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists on 40 percent shooting.

The eight years Zach spent in the mud, in Memphis, are special. They are filled with franchise-defining basketball success, but they are so clearly about more than that. Every Memphian felt it and all of us believe it.

Zach helped establish what it means to play for the Grizzlies on the court and in the community, and in doing so helped forge an identity for our City.

His numerous on the court accomplishments speak for themselves. He is our all-time leader in field goals, rebounds and of course, takedowns.

He is a proud civic leader and an extraordinary hands-on community benefactor. It is no coincidence that our collective dedication to service in our communities and our pride in Memphis surged during his time here.

Grit & Grind is more than a motto to us, it has become a civic code of conduct and cultural ethos. It’s the way we do things in Memphis and at the Grizzlies. The best way for the team, the organization and for the City of Memphis to honor and respect the foundation built on Zach’s broad shoulders is to continue to Grit & Grind.

To Zach — Thank you for all the joy and magical moments too numerous to count. Thank you for the energy and excitement you brought each and every night to FedExForum. Thank you for your leadership and service. Thank you for your larger than life impact and for keeping all Memphians warm. Thank you.

While there will be a time and place to recognize your lasting impact in Memphis, starting today, as stated earlier by Controlling Owner, Robert Pera, number 50 will never be worn by any other member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

We had to reschedule the interview portion of this story with Mike Conley. And for good reason.

The original plan was to do the photo shoot and interview all on the same day at a hotel in midtown Manhattan. But Conley has to bail early. Grizzlies minority owner Justin Timberlake invited the lefty point guard to Staten Island for an afternoon of golf. Can’t say no to JT.

So Conley, rocking a crispy pair of Air Jordan VIIs, casually asks how to get to the outer borough in between posing for the camera. We tell him he has to hop on a ferry to meet Timberlake.

Safe to say the highest-paid player in the NBA has come a long way from his “underrated” label.

The craziest part is you’d never know that this dude is the face of an NBA franchise. He’s patient. He’s totally calm in every day life. He gives people time to talk. He listens and then genuinely responds. That kind of person isn’t usually the best player on an NBA team.

On the court, though, Conley’s not that nice. His humility and friendliness melt away, replaced entirely by a maniacal desire to win. The Grizzlies point guard just doesn’t want people to know about the fire that burns inside of him.

“For one, I guess I just don’t draw attention to myself and give away who I am,” Conley says. “It keeps me a little mysterious in my mind. People think that I’m just a quiet dude that doesn’t get angry. But they have no idea how fierce a competitor I am.”

The Spurs are aware of how scary Conley can be. The point guard put the Grizzlies on his back in the first round of this year’s playoffs, averaging 24.7 points per game while going toe-to-toe with Kawhi Leonard over the course of six games. He turned in a monster 35-point Game 4 performance that officially silenced any doubters.

Watching the tape from that game and then sitting next to Conley, things don’t add up. The man who was on the floor that night had a menacing look in his eye. He wasn’t going to be denied. He was yapping at the crowd, bobbing his head with a classic Y’all can’t stop me vibe. He got to the paint relentlessly, finishing with his patented floaters or over the top of the Spurs’ bigs. If he couldn’t make it to the tin, he was letting quick-trigger three-balls fly at will, sailing down from the rafters into the bottom of the net. Conley delivered in clutch moment after clutch moment.

Yeah, Conley’s living real good right now. But it took him years of hard work to get here.

“It was the second half of [my] second year,” Conley reflects. “I don’t know if our coach got fired at that time but I knew that people were getting shipped out, people were getting traded. I really felt that pressure of the uncertainty of what my job might be. [It] kept me locked in and focused on what I needed to get better to help the team.”

Conley realized that he could become a better leader, play with even more composure and increase his knowledge of the game. He was always fast (his father, Mike Conley Sr, won two Olympic medals in track and field) and he was always skilled, able to shoot and pass well. By following his former fiery teammates Damon Stoudamire and Kyle Lowry, he learned how to give his all and how to study the game.

“We all worked for it, we all had to wait in line, we all had our time,” Conley says. “For me, I had Damon Stoudamire, Kyle Lowry, all these guys that played in front of me. Those guys helped me—they helped my development by constantly competing, constantly learning.”

Conley would practice against Stoudamire and Lowry and then watch tape of Gary Payton. He started taking notes, comprehensively breaking down film. He paid close attention to how Payton used his body to position his defenders. He watched how The Glove controlled the game, zeroing in on how he used to point to where he wanted his teammates to go. Conley was all in on developing his mental strength.

“You really have to be vigilant in how you watch film,” Conley says. “You can’t just sit there and watch tape, blankly just stare at it and see what’s going on. It’s like comprehending when you’re reading. When you read something, you really go through it. Almost like studying for a test, constantly asking myself that question. ‘What does he do when there’s no other move he can make? Where is he going to go? He’s going left. What’s going to happen when you dribble too deep into the paint? They’re going to trap you.’ I start to put all that together and when game time comes, I already know where not to go, where to go and where to be.”

While waiting for his opportunity, Conley was in the lab, quietly, steadily increasing his points per game and maintaining his assists per game. By design, he never wanted to be in the spotlight. He just wanted to get better.

Then he found meditation. And that’s when his game went to the next level.

“Meditation is key,” Conley says. “Not even in sports, just in life, to find a balance, to find a clear mind.”

Conley was able to find more than a clear mind. His new outlook led him to the best season of his career. He played 69 games in 2016-17 and averaged 20.3 points and 6.3 assists on 40 percent three-point shooting. His improvement goes far beyond the numbers.

He established himself as a true professional, a workman who has the highly sought-after clutch gene. For the past few years, Tony Allen, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol have shared the Grizzlies spotlight. They’d grind out games on defense and from the post. But the Grizzlies now belong to Conley.

Early on a spring Monday morning, Conley patiently sits in the empty restaurant of a downtown hotel. He smiles about his time on the links with Timberlake and says that they both nearly sank a hole-in-one. He stands up to reveal his new Jordan “Pure Platinum” Low XIIIs and smiles again when he finds out they don’t come out for more than a week. He talks more about his teammates and his parents than he does himself and never gives himself credit, despite the fact that he more than deserves it.

Even though the season didn’t end the way that he wanted it to, Conley’s satisfied.

“I wouldn’t have changed a thing about this year,” he says.

—

Max Resetar is an Associate Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @maxresetar.

And he’s not done yet. Here’s what VC told the Real GM regarding his retirement plans:

I said to myself ‘I want to play 15 years.’ I don’t know where I got that from. And then I got to 15 years and I kept going. I never capped it, but at the same time I’ve had a lot of players remind me of things I’ve said. I’m still saying ‘two more years and I’m done.’…I could play three more rounds of basketball right now.

Kawhi Leonard scored 29 points, and the Spurs advanced to the Western Conference semifinals by beating Memphis 103-96 on Thursday night to take the series 4-2.

“I’m seriously thrilled that we were able to get through that first round,” Popovich said. “That’s the good news. The bad news is that now we have to go play Houston.”

[Tony] Parker added 27 points on 11-of-14 shooting, while LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points and 12 rebounds. San Antonio outrebounded Memphis 46-28, with 16 of those offensive boards. That led to 17 second-chance points.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/gregg-popovich-calls-kawhi-leonard-nbas-best-player/feed/02017 NBAEPORTLAND, OR - APRIL 10: Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs stands for the National Anthem before a game against the Portland Trail Blazers on April 10, 2017 at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)Mike Conley Asks Grizzlies Fans To Chant ‘Whoop That Trick’ in Game 6http://www.slamonline.com/nba/mike-conley-grizzlies-fans-chant-whoop-that-trick/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/mike-conley-grizzlies-fans-chant-whoop-that-trick/#respondThu, 27 Apr 2017 20:42:40 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=438327

Kelsey Bradshaw of the San Antonio Express-Newsreported that the owner of McEwen’s did not confirm whether or not the coach dined at his restaurant recently, but he has been there before.

There are several indicators that the tip did in fact come from Popovich, including that the Spurs were in Memphis April 20-22 and that McEwen’s is only a few blocks from the FedEx Forum. In addition, the handwriting appears to match sports memorabilia he’s signed in the past.

Buckets were few and far between in this one. Both teams had 41 points in the first half. The Raptors shot 35% and the Bucks had 12 turnovers in the first 24 minutes. Toronto made their run in the third quarter, holding Milwaukee to 17 points. And with the Bucks mightily struggling to find offense, they couldn’t overcome a lead that stretched out to 11 in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.

DeMar DeRozan had 21 in the first half, and 33 for the game, leading all scorers. No one else even reached 20 points. Each team made 5 three-pointers, too.

The Hawks came out and sucker punched the Wizards right away. They started the game with a 13-2 run, never looked back, despite a strong game from John Wall (29 points on 10-12 shooting). Atlanta had this one in hand right away. They never trailed and led by as much as 25.

The Blazers built a 16-point second half lead. Klay Thompson woke up in the third to score a quick 14 and then Stephen Curry had 14 in the fourth quarter. The Dubs won the second half 65-46 with major contributions from JaVale McGee (14 points), Andre Iguodala (16 points) and Draymond Green (9 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 blocks).

“Obviously, I was pretty set on getting the point across,” Fizdale said. “If it rallies our fans and it sounds like we’re selling T-shirts right now, and all of the money is going back into our community then it was worth it for me.”

***

Original story…

The NBA announced Wednesday that Memphis Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale has been fined $30,000 after blistering the refs following a Game 1 loss in San Antonio.

Grizzlies players were equally upset about the officiating in the Spurs’ 96-82 victory.

Per The Commercial Appeal:

“Zach Randolph, the most rugged guy in the game, had zero free throws,” Fizdale said, his voice booming. “But somehow, Kawhi Leonard had 19 free throws. First half, we shot 19 shots in the paint and we had six free throws. They shot 11 times in the paint and they had 23 free throws. I’m not a numbers guy, but that doesn’t seem to add up. Overall, 35 times we shot the ball in the paint. We had 15 free throws for the game. They shot 18 times in the paint and had 32 free throws. Kawhi shot more free throws than our whole team. Explain it to me.”

The comments were directed at the work of Dan Crawford, Rodney Mott and Bill Spooner.

[Mike] Conley, who made four of five foul shots, backed his coach’s assertion but resisted saying anything that would warrant discipline from the league.

“As far as getting to the free-throw line? No, but they respect me as a person, I feel like. But when it comes to the game, I’m not sure,” Conley said when asked if he believed the officials respect him on the court.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/dave-fizdale-fined-30k-blasting-refs/feed/02017 NBAESAN ANTONIO, TX - APRIL 15: David Fizdale of the Memphis Grizzlies talks to the media after the game against the San Antonio Spurs in Game One of Round One during the 2017 NBA Playoffs on April 15, 2017 at the AT&amp;T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images)Shaq: Kawhi Leonard is the NBA’s Second Best Playerhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/shaq-kawhi-leonard-nbas-second-best-player/
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According to Shaquille O'Neal, Kawhi Leonard is the "second best player in the League."

“Memphis is a physical team,” Leonard said. “They’re doing a great job of throwing a lot of bodies at me. The refs were really paying attention and I was able to get to the line.”

Leonard impeccable 19-of-19 performance from the free throw line stands as one of the more remarkable in league annals. […] Only Dirk Nowitzki (24 of 24) and Paul Pierce (21 of 21) ever took more free throws without a miss in postseason history.

“Overall, 35 times we shot the ball in the paint, we had 15 free throws for the game,” (Grizzlies head coach David) Fizdale said. “They shot 18 times in the paint, and had 32 free throws. Kawhi shot more free throws than our whole team. Explain it to me.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/shaq-kawhi-leonard-nbas-second-best-player/feed/02017 Getty ImagesSAN ANTONIO,TX - APRIL 17 : Kawhi Leonard #2 of the San Antonio Spurs reacts after a basket against the Memphis Grizzlies in Game Two of the Western Conference Quarterfinals during the 2017 NBA Playoffs at AT&amp;T Center on April 17, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)Dave Fizdale: Refs ‘Did Not Even Give Us a Chance’http://www.slamonline.com/nba/dave-fizdale-refs-not-even-give-us-chance/
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Kawhi Leonard, en route to 37 points, attempted more free throws (19) than Memphis had as a team (15).

Per the AP:

Leonard had a postseason career-high 37 points and added 11 rebounds, and San Antonio beat the Memphis Grizzlies 96-82 on Monday night to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.

San Antonio led for all but 13 seconds in winning its 10th consecutive postseason game over Memphis.

“We don’t get the respect that these guys deserve because Mike Conley doesn’t go crazy, he has class and he just plays the game,” Fizdale said. “But I’m not going to let them treat us that way. I know (Spurs coach Gregg Popovich has) got pedigree and I’m a young rookie, but they are not going to rook us. That’s unacceptable, that was unprofessional. My guys dug in that game and earned the right to be in that game, and they did not even give us a chance.”

JaMychal Green: The best part about growing up in Montgomery was being around my family. My mom, she came from a family of 12 [siblings] and my dad came from a family of eight, so I always had a lot of cousins around my age. And we were always close. I always had a big family around me.

SLAM: Which neighborhood did you grow up in?

JG: I grew up in Normandale from about 6 to 18. We stayed on a pretty good street. But the next block over is rough—there’s a lot of shootings. We were still in the area. But it really shaped me into who I am today.

SLAM: How would you compare Montgomery to Memphis, where you live now?

JG: Montgomery is a small little Memphis. There are so many little things around Memphis that’s similar to home. They have some good barbecue spots here and at home we have good soul food as well. Memphis is a little more spread out; Montgomery is smaller. But just the culture, the good food and family environment, it reminds me of home.

SLAM: What was the hardest part about coming up in Montgomery?

JG: I would say the most difficult part was losing my brother. He was shot and killed in 1992. I was 2 at the time. I remember my mom was really hurt. I was young so I didn’t really understand what was going on, but just seeing how hurt my mom was when talking about it—I saw how much she missed him. I miss him too and I just wish I had more time to spend with him.

SLAM: How did that time shape you into who you are today?

JG: My brother had two kids before he died—my nephew and my niece. My nephew, he had just turned 1 and my niece was only like a couple of months old so we were all close in age. Me and my nephew, we were only like a year-and-a-half apart, so growing up it was always me and him. Now I have a foundation called My Brother’s Keeper. And that’s how it all got started, with my brother dying and leaving his two kids. I’m not their father, but I felt it was my job to be involved. We just launched the foundation last year in Montgomery.

SLAM: You were a top-10 recruit out of high school but decided to stay home and play at the University of Alabama. Why?

JG: I wanted to play with Andrew Steele and Tony Mitchell. We were always close friends and we always wanted to play together. So we got it done. Then coach [Mark] Gottfried left my freshman year. I still decided to stay, just to try to change the culture of basketball there and get it back to how it was when Ron Steele and Kennedy Winston were there. We just wanted to get it back to how it was—that was really my point of staying home.

—

Franklyn Calle is an Assistant Editor at SLAM. Follow him on Twitter @FrankieC7.

“Obviously, people came to see that, but it happens like that,” Westbrook said. “We got a lot of games left. We got the win. That’s the most important part to me.”

Instead, fans will have to wait until Friday night when the Thunder visit Phoenix to see if Westbrook notches his 42nd triple-double after a thrilling performance where he scored 11 of Oklahoma City’s final 14 points.

“We held him from getting a triple-double,” Memphis coach David Fizdale said. “So take that Russell Westbrook.”

The Raptors won’t finish any lower than the fifth seed in the East this season. Tonight, they beat Paul George and the Pacers behind 40 points from DeMar DeRozan. George had 28 for the Pacers. Toronto had 53 rebounds, 11 more than Indiana.

The Hornets are still alive in the East. They trail the Pacers by two games for the eighth seed. Kemba Walker lit up the Nuggets for 31 points tonight and helped Charlotte survive a game that featured nine ties and eleven lead changes. Nikola Jokic had his sixth triple-double of the season with 26 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists. Denver’s two games behind Portland for the final spot in the West.

The Cavs snapped their three-game losing streak with 34 points from LeBron James. The King was backed up by 24 points and 9 assists from Kyrie Irving and 18 points and 10 rebounds from Kevin Love. Cleveland led by as much as 32 and trails Boston by half a game for the top seed in the East.

Aaron Gordon had a huge game, putting in 32 points and 16 rebounds. But his squad couldn’t find a way to overcome the Celtics’ one point lead in the game’s closing plays. Elfrid Payton’s layup rolled off the rim with two seconds left and the Magic squandered multiple 13-point leads. Isaiah Thomas had 35 in the comeback win.

Giannis Antetekoumpo, Khris Middleton and Thon Maker combined for 76 points to lead the Bucks to a big overtime win, giving them sole possession of the fifth seed in the East. Giannis also had 14 rebounds and 9 assists. Middleton made the game’s crucial three-pointer with 40 seconds left in OT. The Pistons, losers of six of their last seven, are two and a half games out of the eighth seed.

Memphis clinched their seventh consecutive playoff appearance with tonight’s win. They got 28 points from Mike Conley and 22 and 12 off the bench from Zach Randolph. They held Dallas to 38% shooting and just 15 assists.

DeMarcus Cousins got buckets against his former team, finishing with 37 points. The Pels held their foot on the gas, building a 32-point lead, grabbing 17 steals, shooting nearly 50% for the game. They also had 13 blocks.

Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks avenged Wednesday’s loss against the Heat without Carmelo Anthony (sore back) and Derrick Rose (injured knee). Porzingis led five Knicks in double figures. The Heat couldn’t get to the rim and they couldn’t hit from outside the arc, shooting 8-33.

Spurs 100 (58-17), Thunder 95 (43-32)

Oklahoma City was up for the majority of this game, leading by as much as 21. Russell Westbrook and Victor Oladipo were flying everywhere, outrunning the Spurs’ defense. Westbrook had 32 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists, his 39th triple-double and Vic had 16 points.

The Spurs didn’t have a lead until the final minute. With a 96-95 advantage, LaMarcus Aldridge blocked a layup by Westbrook and Kawhi Leonard went the length of the court to muscle an and-1 into the hoop, delivering the dagger. Leonard finished with 27 points.

Rudy Gobert had 16 points and 10 rebounds, Gordon Hayward scored 19 points and the Jazz bottled up John Wall and the Wizards to put themselves a game and a half up on the Clippers. Washington shot 29% from three and had just 12 assists on 35 field goals.

Warriors 107 (62-14), Rockets 98 (51-25)

Golden State handed Houston their first three-game losing streak of the season. The Warriors climbed back from a 13-point deficit, holding the Rockets 37% shooting for the game. Stephen Curry had 24 points and Klay Thompson had 20 for GSW. James Harden had 17 points on 4-18 shooting in the loss.

DeMarcus Cousins had a monster night Tuesday, dropping 41 points and snatching 17 rebounds in the New Orleans Pelicans’ 95-82 win against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies.

Boogie’s best game to date with his new team included a career-high five three-pointers.

Cousins also swatted three shots.

Per the AP:

“It feels good to finally tear down that wall, break out of the shell,” Cousins said. “They’ve been telling me since I’ve been here to just go out and be aggressive and just be myself, and I think I was able to do that tonight.”

Cousins hit five 3-pointers, tying a career high. He made five shots inside while being fouled for three-point plays and had the jubilant home crowd chanting his nickname, “Boogie.” […] “It felt good to be embraced,” Cousins said. “It felt very good.”

Cousins also blocked three shots and assisted on Anthony Davis’ crowd-pleasing alley-oop dunk. […] “That was my favorite play of the game,” Cousins said, noting that he and Davis had talked “a lot” about making such a play part of their repertoire when they’re on the court together. “Nobody can jump with the dude.”

The 6-10 forward is averaging 6.0 points, 1.5 assists and 2.5 boards per game on the season and when talking to reporters over the weekend, he made no excuses for his play, saying that he “sucks right now.”

“I suck right now,” Parsons said. “There’s no sugarcoating it. It is what it is. I’m just going to continue to work, continue to grind.”

While Parsons is upfront about his poor performance, Grizzlies fans are starting to get impatient and have booed him at recent games, something Parsons calls “a little shocking:”

“A little shocking,” Parsons told ESPN of the booing he heard in the Grizzlies’ last home game. “Look, I signed a four-year deal. I didn’t sign a one-year deal. The team expectations for me are to go very slow. It’s going to be a long process.

“I understand as a sports fan you want production. You see the contract I signed with the salary I make. People expect a lot better than I’m performing right now. That’s natural, and that’s how it goes, but I think it’s a little premature [for Memphis fans to boo]. But I get it.”

Grizzlies head coach David Fizdale stuck up for Parsons and struck back at critics saying that his player parties too much, arguing that if he looked like Parsons, he’d “date a lot of girls, too:”

“I get it,” Fizdale said. “I get that the fans see social media and see him in Cancun. You know what? If you looked at every other player’s social media that wasn’t at the All-Star Game, they were probably at a beach, because I was, too. I get them being frustrated with that and the fact that he’s single and has got girls that he dates and all that stuff. If I looked like that and I was single, I’d date a lot of girls, too. So get past all of that.”

Following the scuffle, Daniels, Suns rookies Tyler Ulis and Marquese Chriss were all ejected.

Per the AZ Republic:

“I don’t know why he would be talking to me,” Booker said. “He’s been on five teams in three years and he’s talking trash to me. He’s on a winning team, so you have those muscles when you’re on a winning team. It is what it is. We will see him again.”

Daniels, 25, played four seasons at Virginia Commonwealth. He went undrafted in 2013 but established himself in the NBA’s developmental league and eventually found a place in the NBA. During the 2014-15 season, Daniels spent time in Houston, Minnesota and Charlotte. Last year, he played 43 games with Charlotte. This year, he’s averaging 8.8 points off the bench for Memphis, shooting 39.3 percent from 3-point range.

Said Chriss: “If somebody’s going at one of our brothers like that, we’re going to go over there and stick up for him.” […] Said Ulis: “We have each other’s back no matter what.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/devin-booker-mocks-troy-daniels-talking-trash/feed/02016 Getty ImagesPHOENIX, AZ - JANUARY 06: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns reacts after the Suns scored against the Charlotte Hornets during the second half of the NBA game at Talking Stick Resort Arena on January 6, 2016 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Hornets 111-102. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)WATCH: 40 ‘Unseen Dunks’ from Vince Carterhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/watch-40-unseen-dunks-vince-carter/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/watch-40-unseen-dunks-vince-carter/#respondThu, 26 Jan 2017 15:55:15 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=424099

“Why is it a big deal?” Carter wondered aloud. “Guys have turned 40 in this league before.”

How does one play 19 seasons and remain relevant on a playoff team at 40? […] “Class,” Grizzlies coach David Fizdale said. “Stan Van Gundy said it best. He puts everyone before himself. It’s a real compliment to him for how long he’s been able to last, change and evolve from superstar to role player. And he’s done it all with class.”

“He’s a guy you easily forget he’s a Hall-of-Famer,” Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley said. “He’s up there as one of the best to ever play the game. We all take it for granted in terms of who we’re sitting next to. You would never know of all the things he’s done, all the money he’s made and experienced the things he’s done because he never talks about it. He’s always concerned about the moment, our team and how to make us better. He’s been a great leader for us. I’m a fan of Vince since I was a little kid. We’re all in awe of his greatness.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/watch-40-unseen-dunks-vince-carter/feed/0This content is subject to copyright.7 Dec 1999: A close up of Vince Carter #15 of the Toronto Raptors as he looks on during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Canada. The Raptors defeated the Cavaliers 101-98. Mandatory Credit: Robert Laberge /AllsportMarc Gasol Drops Career-High 42 Points on Torontohttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/marc-gasol-drops-career-high-42-points-toronto/
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The big fella shot 13 of 25 from the field, and chipped in seven boards plus a pair of blocked shots.

Gasol scored the Grizzlies’ first 16 points, and his free throws iced the game.

Per the AP:

“The ball went in early, and the rim got a little bigger,” the 7-foot-1 center from Spain said. “And I just kept shooting.”

“It’s so much fun to watch and be a part of,” said guard Mike Conley, who had 11 points. “Tonight was something special. It got to the point where everybody was just trying to get him the ball.”

(Kyle) Lowry led the Raptors with 29 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter, to lead Toronto’s final charge, erasing a 12-point Memphis lead. Norman Powell had 21 points and Cory Joseph finished with 15 points.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/marc-gasol-drops-career-high-42-points-toronto/feed/02017 NBAEMEMPHIS, TN - JANUARY 25: Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots the ball during the game against the Toronto Raptors on January 25, 2017 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)Jimmy Butler Motivated By Trash-Talking Grizzlies Fanhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/jimmy-butler-motivated-by-trash-talking-grizzlies-fan/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/jimmy-butler-motivated-by-trash-talking-grizzlies-fan/#respondMon, 16 Jan 2017 15:04:13 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=422959

The All-Star guard scored nine of his 16 points in the fourth quarter.

“How are you going to do that to me?” the dejected fan said. “I’m sorry,” Butler responded. “I love you, man.”

“I love it,” Butler said of the back and forth with the fan. “That’s the reason you play the game. To win, there’s supposed to be a little bit of pressure on you. You got to deliver, you got to make some shots. You got to get some stops. I think everybody in here wants that. They want to feel that pressure and deliver. It feels good.”

As Butler quickly walked off the floor after the game, the Grizzlies fan who spent the night heckling Butler was left to wonder what might have been. Before heading to the exits, the fan said something to one of his buddies. It’s a common mistake that fans all over the league have made all season when they try to yell at Butler during games. […] “I pissed him off,” the fan said.

Russ did struggle in this one, however, shooting just 6 of 19 and missing all seven of his 3-point attempts.

Per the AP:

Westbrook isn’t just rolling up stats. The Thunder are 15-3 this season and 33-3 the past two seasons when he gets a triple-double.

“People can get wrapped up in numbers and talk about numbers, and the numbers don’t reflect winning,” Oklahoma City coach Billy Donovan said. “When Russell has gotten the triple-doubles, we’ve won, and that’s what he, I think, is most focused about.”

Westbrook’s teammates shot just under 50 percent from the field to make up for his rough shooting. […] “Even with his numbers, it’s really a complete and total team effort,” Donovan said. “Guys have got to put the basketball in the basket to get him assists. Steven (Adams) and Enes (Kanter) screen to get him loose, to get him downhill to make plays. Everybody’s kind of contributed.”

John Wall wasn’t tasked with carrying Washington’s offense in this match-up, as Bradley Beal (41 points) and Markieff Morris (23 points, nine boards) lifted the Wizards to an upset victory. The Clippers enjoyed solid performances from their regulars- Chris Paul double-doubled and Blake Griffin scored 26- but Washington closed the game on a 22-8 run to wrap up the W.

The Kings have reached their nadir, getting handled by a league-worst Mavericks team. On the bright side, DeMarcus Cousins’ off-court antics haven’t affected his performance; scoring 33 points with six boards. The rest of his team, however, shot an abysmal 18-for-52 from the field, sealing their fate against Dorian Finney-Smith (team-high 17 points) and the Mavs.

Dave Joerger responded to The Bee's coverage of DeMarcus Cousins and his beef with Andy Furillo before today's game: pic.twitter.com/Ao6whLblzj

Goran Dragic (31 points) and Hassan Whiteside (23 points, 17 boards) did their thing, yet Miami continued their slide with a frustrating loss to the Celtics. Boston set the tone early on, emerging from the first quarter with a 37-19 lead. Avery Bradley and Isaiah Thomas had 20 and 23 points, respectively, while Al Horford contributed 17 points with eight rebounds. With Sunday’s W, Boston moves past Charlotte for third place overall in the Eastern Conference.

Bismack Biyombo managed 12 rebounds with three blocks against his former team, but it was otherwise all Toronto in Sunday’s 30-point drubbing. DeMar DeRozan scored a game-high 31 points, Jonas Valanciunas and Kyle Lowry each double-doubled, and Pascal Siakam swatted four shots- including this gem:

76ers 108 (7-20), Nets 107 (7-19)

Joel Embiid’s career-high 33 points were the difference in Philly’s narrow victory over Brook Lopez (two dimes, one board shy of a triple-double) and the Nets. Ersan Ilyasova poured in 22 points off the bench, while Robert Covington scored 15. Jeremy Lin scored 16 in limited minutes, but bricked a potentially game-tying three in Brooklyn’s final possession.

Philadelphia’s crowded depth chart at the 5 continues to be a pressing issue. Jahlil Okafor received the start on Sunday, and went 0-for-10 from the field. It’s no secret that Nerlens Noel isn’t long for the team, as the former Kentucky Wildcat sat out all of Sunday’s game and continues to be mentioned in trade talks.

Utah bested Memphis in a low-scoring affair, improving to 7-1 over their last eight games. Rudy Gobert and Gordon Hayward scored 21 and 22 points, respectively, while Derrick Favors swatted four shots in 13 minutes of court time. Memphis, meanwhile, received a team-high 14 points from Mike Conley while shooting a cumulative 30.1% from the field…yikes. The Grizzlies will look to regroup against the Celtics on Tuesday.

The Grizzlies shot 28/93 (30.1%) from the field and 2/23 (8.7%) from three and were in the game until the final minute.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-thank-you-tim-duncan-spurs/feed/02016 NBAESAN ANTONIO, TX - DECEMBER 18: A painting of Tim Duncan is seen during halftime against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 18, 2016 at the AT&amp;T Center in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photos by Mark Sobhani/NBAE via Getty Images)Grizzlies Fans Unhappy With LeBron James Sitting Outhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/grizzlies-fans-unhappy-lebron-james-sitting/
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Becky Morris is a hair stylist. Her husband, Justin, sells video security systems. They do not have a lot of money. They have to be careful with what they spend. […] But their son, Canon, had an 18th birthday coming up. And Canon Morris loves LeBron James.

“He absolutely adores LeBron,” said Justin. “It has taken some time for him to prefer the Grizzlies to LeBron. He does now, but he still absolutely loves LeBron. So for his 18th birthday, we decided we were going all out.”

They bought tickets to the Grizzlies-Cavaliers game. Not just any tickets, tickets in the lower bowl. And not just any tickets in the lower bowl, tickets — just two tickets — that cost a total of $600. […] “It was a special occasion,” said Justin. “We wanted to do it for our son. And then, with the tragedy that happened, it became that much more important to him.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/grizzlies-fans-unhappy-lebron-james-sitting/feed/02016 NBAECLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 13: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts to a play against the Memphis Grizzlies during the game on December 13, 2016 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)Post Up: One Man Showhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-one-man-show-rose-melo/
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Knicks won their fourth straight, John Wall had 52 points, Z-Bo's emotional return and more from Tuesday.

Carmelo Anthony’s 35 points led the Knicks to their fourth straight W, besting Goran Dragic (29 points) and the Heat. Kristaps Porzingis helped the cause with 14 points and 12 boards, and Joakim Noah showed signs of life with 10 points/10 rebounds. Derrick Rose took an early exit due to back spasms, but said the ailment “calmed down” after the game.

The Wizards have reached their nadir this season, coming away with a loss despite John Wall’s career-high 52 points. Elfrid Payton reached a career-high of his own, dropping 25 points in Orlando’s W. It’s been a start-and-stop season for Washington, who just earned a come-from-behind win in Brooklyn on Monday. After the game, a bewildered John Wall had no answers for his team’s performance.

It was an emotional return performance for Zach Randolph, who had missed Memphis’ last seven games following the death of his mother. Z-Bo, who secured a double-double in just 21:46 of court time, received love from Grizzlies fans in his 1,000th NBA appearance.

A much deserved standing O for Zach Randolph, who had taken a personal leave following his mother's passing. https://t.co/DJvn0N4WMx

The Joel Embiid and Jahlil Okafor-less 76ers had trouble contending with Marc Gasol (26 points, 12 boards), dropping their eighth straight despite an impressive double-double from Ersan Ilyasova. Considering they entered Tuesday with a nine-man roster, keeping tonight’s game close can be considered a moral victory of sorts.

The Pistons have now won four of their last five, behind Tobias Harris’ 22 points (9-of-16 from the field). The Bulls weren’t without solid performances- Jimmy Butler dropped 32 points while Dwyane Wade had 19 with seven dimes- but their bench continues to be an Achilles’ Heel. Isaiah Canaan, Nikola Mirotic, Cristiano Felicio and Jerian Grant combined for just 11 points off the bench, compared to 33 points from Detroit’s reserves. Meanwhile, Rajon Rondo made his return from a team-imposed suspension:

The Spurs remain undefeated on the road this season, shooting 52.7% from the field in a win over Zach LaVine (25 points) and the T’Wolves. Kawhi Leonard secured his sixth 30-point game of the season, shooting 11-15 from the field with four dimes and two steals. Karl-Anthony Towns couldn’t get it going on offense, shooting 3-of-16.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/post-up-one-man-show-rose-melo/feed/02016 Getty ImagesMIAMI, FL - DECEMBER 06: Derrick Rose #25 of the New York Knicks inbounds the ball during a game against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena on December 6, 2016 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)Marc Gasol Hangs Triple-Double on the Pelicanshttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/marc-gasol-hangs-triple-double-on-the-pelicans/
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Gasol forced OT with a nifty step-back three-pointer; the big fella also had a game-saving block late in the first overtime, and a 17-foot jumper late in the second overtime to conclude matters.

Per the AP:

“We played a lot of minutes, so numbers don’t really matter,” Gasol said. “As long as you do the right thing and you win, obviously, that’s the only thing.”

Anthony Davis had 28 points and 17 rebounds for New Orleans, which has lost three straight. Langston Galloway hit six 3s and scored a season-high 26 points, helping the Pelicans erase a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit. But Galloway missed a corner 3 that could have won it as second extra period ended.

What bothered Davis most were the Grizzlies’ 13 offensive rebounds that led to 13 second-chance points, none more damaging that Daniels’ tying 3 at the end of the first overtime, which came after Gasol rebounded his own missed 3 and kicked the ball back out.

The Suns kept the game to a nine-point deficit entering halftime, but the wheels fell off in the third quarter; getting outscored 42-27 en route to an easy W for the Warriors. Golden State has now gone 106 regular season games without losing two in a row, boasting 20-plus point performances from Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, and Stephen Curry. While the team struggled as a whole (committing 14 turnovers, getting in foul trouble), Eric Bledsoe and

In midst of an impressive night off the bench (11 points in 12:42 of court time), JaVale McGee submitted a classic #Shaqtin moment…much to the delight of his teammates.

We’re not exactly breaking news here, but it’s worth stating: Giannis Antetokounmpo is really good. The Greek Freak is averaging 25 points, nine boards, 7.6 dimes, 3.2 steals, and two blocks over his last five games. In addition to Antetokounmpo’s handiwork, the Bucks received 15-plus point performances from Jabari Parker, Matthew Dellavedova, and John Henson to seal the W.

Andrew Wiggins scored 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including a cold-blooded trey to send the game to OT. Minnesota’s gotten off to a rough start under Tom Thibodeau, but wins like these are a sign that things are trending in the right direction. Karl-Anthony Towns double-doubled, and delivered this powerful jam in transition.

Yeesh…the Hawks are going to want to forget about this one. Dwight Howard double-doubled, and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 15 off the bench, but there aren’t many positives to take away from a 44-point blowout on the road. The Raptors outscored Atlanta 42-to-14 in the fourth quarter (!), shooting a combined 57.6 percent from the field. If the Hawks’ level of play keeps up, coach Mike Budenholzer might find himself on the hot seat.

Over the past 10 games, the Hawks have been outscored by 14.9 points per 100.

A battle between two shorthanded teams wound up being one of the most entertaining of the night. A veteran of four NBA teams, Troy Daniels hit his stride tonight with a career-high 31 points. The Lakers, meanwhile, enjoyed a 40-point showing from Lou Williams, who was a perfect 14-for-14 from the charity stripe. Check the highlights from Lou and Troy here:

Another example of the NBA’s sheer unpredictability: Dallas trounced the Bulls behind a 26-point showing from Wesley Matthews. Entering the game without Dwyane Wade or Doug McDermott, the Bulls’ offense was spearheaded by Jimmy Butler (26 points, nine rebounds). It’s tough to succeed, however, when three members of the starting five have a -22 Plus Minus or worse.

Mavs 57, Bulls 45 at half. Rajon Rondo (2 points, 0 rebounds, 1 assist) is making the kind of impact he often did during his Dallas stint.

Gordon Hayward’s 32 points were the difference in Utah’s victory Saturday, besting Will Barton, Wilson Chandler (2o points apiece) and the Nuggets. After a sloppy 105-91 loss to Denver on Nov. 20, the Jazz have defeated their Northwest Division rivals twice (earning a 108-83 over Denver on Nov. 23).

Gordon Hayward scored 30 for the third straight game. Had 30 in 3 games last year. He is a different player.

Neither Damian Lillard nor C.J. McCollum were spectacular, but the Trail Blazers prevailed to earn their third win in their last four games. Allen Crabbe was 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and Mo Harkless added 17 for Portland. Hassan Whiteside compiled an impressive double-double, but it’ll be difficult for Miami to compete with Dion Waiters, Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow, and Derrick Williams all sidelined.

The Lakers and Grizzlies went right down to the wire Saturday night, each team receiving standout performances from the bench. Lou Williams’ 40 points kept the Lakers competitive from the field, while Troy Daniels’ career-high 31 points helped Memphis come away with the W.

Vince Carter’s 39-year-old body still feels good enough to allow him to pull off the occasional highlight-reel dunk, and he’s not ready to call it a career just yet. VC is followed by Manu Ginobili, Jason Terry, Paul Pierce and Dirk Nowitzki as the oldest players in the NBA this season. These old men: Carter, […]

These vets have learned to compensate for their vastly reduced athleticism.

Per the AP:

“That’s how I was able to stay around this long, is just, I learned the game,” Carter said. “Not being able to play. Everybody can play basketball, but learning the ins and outs of the game is what has kept me around.”

Carter acknowledges tiring of the endless “play the right way” mantra preached at Chapel Hill, but now he lives it. He can’t just jump over players like he did to Frederic Weis in the 2000 Olympics , though he quickly earned the trust of first-time coach David Fizdale, who had Carter on the floor defending 21-year-old Andrew Wiggins to spark the Grizzlies’ comeback victory over Minnesota in their season opener.

And how many more (seasons) after this? […] “I don’t know yet,” he said. “I’m still flying. It’s not time yet.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/vince-carter-im-still-flying/feed/02016 NBAEMEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 25: Vince Carter #15 of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots the ball against the Miami Heat during the game on November 25, 2016 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)Mike Conley Expected to Miss Six Weeks With Back Injuryhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/mike-conley-expected-to-miss-six-weeks-with-back-injury/
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“At that point you are only concerned about that guy’s health,” (Marc) Gasol said Monday night when asked about the moment Conley went down. “You just worry if he is OK or not.”

Conley received an inadvertent knee to the back. Conley laid flat on the court and grimaced in pain for several minutes before teammates helped him stand.

Conley reportedly experienced a paralyzing feeling for some time before he walked gingerly to the locker room with 8:25 left in the third quarter and the Griz down 61-48 on the scoreboard. He did not return to the game after amassing 14 points and five assists,

What more can be said of Russell Westbrook? After Friday’s landmark effort- becoming the first player since Magic Johnson to record a 30-point, 18-assist triple-double- Russ did his thing again on Saturday, going off for a 17/15/13 triple-double in a win over Detroit. Westbrook has now tied LeBron James’ career triple-double total, needing 395 fewer games to reach the prestigious mark.

https://vine.co/v/5Fj7wgel32B

Warriors 115 (15-2), Timberwolves 102 (5-11)

An ankle injury may have sidelined Draymond Green for Saturday’s match-up with Karl-Anthony Towns and the Timberwolves, but the Warriors had more than enough offensive firepower to make up for it. Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry combined for 85 points, besting Zach LaVine (team-high 31 points) and the T’Wolves. Andrew Wiggins was just 6-of-15 from the floor, but pulled off one of the year’s most raucous poster jams:

The winningest road team in the NBA continued their roll, scoring 30-plus points in the second and third frames. Bradley Beal and John Wall (25 and 21 points, respectively) held up their end of the bargain, but Washington’s bench was just 8-of-24 from the field. It didn’t help matters that Markieff Morris, one of the team’s established veterans, was ejected early in the third quarter.

The Knicks put forth a durable effort at the Spectrum Center, but otherwise were unable to capture the magic of Friday’s overtime win against Charlotte. Kemba Walker scored a team-high 28 points and Frank Kaminsky added 14 (eight of which coming in the fourth quarter) to topple Kristaps Porzingis (25 points) and the Knicks. Joakim Noah- signed over the offseason on a $72 million contract- has yet to carve out a rotation spot under Jeff Hornacek. The former Florida Gator played just 12 minutes, grabbing three boards.

Now the Grizzlies’ head coach, Fizdale enjoyed a narrow victory thanks to 11 points from Mike Conley within the game’s final three minutes. Troy Williams, who had averaged just 8.7 minutes per game entering Saturday, helped out the offensive effort with 18 points. With Zach Randolph out indefinitely, Memphis will take offense wherever they can find it.

“I respect that,” Brown said of Embiid visible display of frustration. “Very much I respect that. You see how much he wants to help us try to win, how competitive he is. I mean that’s a hard life to live, isn’t it? [It is] from everybody’s perspective – coaches, teammates, Joel’s fans. But it’s just the way it is.”

The loss denied the Sixers (4-11) of two things. They failed to win three consecutive games for the first time since they won four straight in late 2013 and early 2014. The Sixers also haven’t beaten the Grizzlies (10-5) since Dec. 26, 2012, with Memphis winning eight consecutive meetings.

“It’s tough,” Embiid said. “I don’t think I’m playing against Chicago [on Friday]. So I basically have three or four days to rest. So that’s what I told them. […] But they care about me. They are going to do whatever they can to protect me.”

Armed with one of the best names in NBA history, Stromile Swift had some of the most impressive hops in the game during his prime. Swift was drafted No. 2 overall by the Vancouver Grizzlies in 2000 and was a participant in the 2001 Dunk Contest, but the promising start to his career was soon derailed due to injuries.

The 6-10 Swift dealt with ankle injuries during his nine-year career, playing in 547 games and never playing in a full 82. Despite the limited playing time, Swift had plenty of highlight-reel worthy dunks and the NBA put together his 20 best to celebrate his birthday.

Source: Chandler Parsons has a bone bruise in his left knee that could cause him to miss up to two weeks. That is not the knee that Parsons has had surgically repaired twice. The Grizzlies announced that Parsons will miss Monday’s game in Charlotte, the second straight game he will miss.

Including this season, Parsons has played in 133 games since the 2014-15 season and has been dealing with knee issues that have sidelined him for extended time.

Parsons is perfectly happy with his new team, calling it a “perfect situation”:

“Houston, I get it. I said some stupid stuff on the way out of Houston [after three seasons],” Parsons told ESPN, referring to the boos he gets from Houston Rockets fans every time he returns to the Toyota Center as a visitor. “Dallas, I don’t understand. It’s like getting mad at somebody for getting in a car wreck and breaking their arm. Like, how in the world can you be mad at somebody for getting hurt? It makes no sense. That’s just so wrong to get mad at somebody for getting hurt, like they want to go through the rehab, want to go through the pain, want to go through the misery of not playing. I can never understand that aspect of it.

“So when it comes to Dallas, you’re going to get mad at me because Dirk (Nowitzki) decided to take less money to bring in a really good player and then unfortunately he gets hurt? That’s why you’re mad? Sure, boo.”

Due primarily to concerns about his knee, Dallas did not make Parsons an offer after he declined to exercise his player option, which would have paid him $16 million this season. Parsons told ESPN he would have taken “a lot less” than the maximum to re-sign with the Mavs, but he’s happy he ended up going to the Grizzlies.

Ten games into the season, and there already may not be any hope left in Washington. Credit the Sixers for defending their home court, and shout to Jahlil Okafor for putting up 19 points in 20 minutes, but no team should be beat down by Philadelphia. On the bright side, Otto Porter has put together a string of really nice games, including 15 points, 13 boards and 4 steals vs Philly.

Pelicans 82 (2-10), Magic 89 (5-7)

An overall ugly game, Orlando did enough to come out with the W. But as Aaron Gordon said after the game, the Magic have to improve in virtually every facet. It’s still early, but the pieces in Orlando just don’t seem to be fitting together.

Cavs 93 (9-2), Pacers 103 (6-6)

Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving combined for 51 points, but the Cavs couldn’t find anyone else to step up offensively without LeBron James and JR Smith in the lineup. Paul George and Jeff Teague both had nice games for the home team, dropping 21 and 20 points, respectively.

Mavs 83 (2-8), Celtics 90 (6-5)

Any self-respecting basketball fan knows not to underestimate Dirk Nowitzki and Rick Carlisle in Dallas, but let’s be honest—the Mavs’ slow start may keep them out of the playoffs this season. Boston, who were once again without Al Horford and Jae Crowder, got another dominant fourth-quarter out of Isaiah Thomas, who dropped 22 in the period (30 on the night).

The Garden has been filled with boos a lot recently and Phil Jackson has been a PR disaster. But even all that couldn’t tremendous promise displayed by Kristaps Porzingis. KP went off for 35 points (25 in the first half), and looked utterly dominant throughout the game. It looked too easy for Porzingis went he ran the length of the floor and threw down an incredible alley-oop from Brandon Jennings.

https://vine.co/v/5T1AYvjnZl6

Bucks 100 (5-5), Hawks 107 (9-2)

The Hawks are seriously good. Perhaps not East finals-contenders good, but they’re looking like a great regular season team. Without Dwight Howard, on the second night of a back-to-back, Atlanta beat a solid Bucks team with a great team win. Rookie Taurean Prince saw 19 minutes and made a nice impression on Hawks fans:

https://vine.co/v/5T1qbTQQ5iZ

Rockets 103 (6-5), Thunder 105 (7-5)

The first meeting between early season MVP favorites Russell Westbrook and James Harden did not disappoint. Westbrook iced the game with a ferocious left-handed jam on Clint Capela, giving OKC a five-point lead with 5.5 seconds remaining. Harden, although his shot wasn’t falling, handed out 13 dimes.

https://vine.co/v/5TnW95dTHK9

Warriors 127 (9-2), Raptors 121 (7-4)

There was a lot of good-natured trash talking. There was an epic Doris Burke t-shirt. And there was just too much Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant for the Raptors to withstand. Drake Night in Toronto ended with a loss, but hey, at least DeMar DeRozan remained unstoppable, dropping 34 points on the night.

Wilson Chandler beasted to the tune of 28 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists off the bench against a Phoenix team that provided practically no resistance. Devin Booker (24 points) was ejected with less than 18 seconds left in the ballgame, and signed an autograph on his way to the locker room like a boss:

https://vine.co/v/5TnY69dxduh

Spurs 110 (9-3), Kings 105 (4-8)

Things are quickly spiraling out of control in Sacramento. And while the Kings were never expected to beat San Antonio, they just didn’t seem to put in the effort to make the game competitive. Pau Gasol had another nice night against Boogie Cousins, leading the Spurs with 24 points.

Grizzlies 111 (6-5), Clippers 107 (10-2)

Marc Gasol hit a three-pointer with 14 seconds remaining to propel Memphis to victory. The win was even more impressive considering Chandler Parsons sat out the second half with a bum knee, and the game was being played in the Clippers building. After the go-ahead trey, Gasol walked off like a boss:

At least three NBA teams have begun to boycott U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s hotels, according to an ESPN report.

The Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks have reportedly moved away from Trump hotels in New York City and Chicago (his other businesses have also taken a hit from consumers lately.).

Sources say that another Eastern Conference team contracted to stay at the Trump SoHo in New York this season has likewise already decided to switch to a different property in Manhattan when its current contract expires at season’s end and that the Trump association is among the factors for the switch.

Seven other teams told ESPN.com on Tuesday that they are still currently scheduled to stay at Trump-branded properties this season. […] As a matter of privacy, ESPN has chosen not to name those eight teams in total so as not to publicly identify where they will be staying on this season’s trips for games against the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets or Chicago Bulls.

Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban are both high-profile supporters of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, who last week lost the race to be the United States’ 45th president to Trump.

The clock strikes a quarter to 7 p.m. local time when he emerges from his very first team meal as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. With training camp kicking off tomorrow morning, Chandler Parsons has a lot on his mind—basketball and beyond.

“You know, trying to paint walls, change the floors, furnish it all,” says Parsons, who is heading into camp while staying at a downtown hotel for another two weeks as he puts the final touches on his soon-to-be suburban home. “It’s a whole process. On top of dealing with that, there’s finishing rehab, team meetings and film. It’s a lot and it gets stressful. But I got good people on it.”

Despite having only arrived in Memphis a little over a week before we speak, the vibes Parsons says he’s felt in his short time in town have been enough to give him a much-needed positive outlook after spending his summer in Los Angeles recovering from season-ending surgery for a second consecutive year.

“It’s an exciting time,” says Parsons. “I think change is always good. It’s a fresh start. I’ve been here 10 days total and you can just tell these fans are so passionate. They’re so welcoming. They’re legitimately the nicest people I’ve ever met. They’re so excited about this season—there’s excitement everywhere you go downtown.”

Parsons, who made his season debut on Sunday in Portland and scored 9 points in Memphis’ one-point win over the Nuggets last night, experienced his share of highs and lows through his first five seasons in the NBA. Selected by the Houston Rockets with the 38th overall pick in the second round of the 2011 NBA Draft, the 6-10 small forward came into the League with a high level of uncertainty surrounding his future. Not only because the odds of a second-rounder sticking around and making a career in the NBA weren’t on his side, but also because the NBA lockout meant no actual basketball was being played.

Fresh off an SEC Player of the Year season when he led the Florida Gators to the Elite Eight in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, the Casselberry, FL, native opted to begin his professional career in France while the NBA players’ union and owners worked on a new CBA. It was a short stint in which he participated in just three games and averaged 10 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. But even after the NBPA and the League reached an agreement in late November and training camp started on December 9, Parsons was still waiting to sign a contract—because the Rockets were exploring free-agency options and also because FIBA needed to provide clearance after his time in the French league.

Nine days into training camp, a deal materialized that finally allowed Parsons to join the team at practice. In retrospect, the lockout, and the rushed free-agency period that came of it, was a blessing in disguise, at least according to Grizzlies associate head coach JB Bickerstaff, who at the time was an assistant with the Rockets.

“There were trades that were supposed to happen [and] there were free-agent signings that we were going to try to make,” recalls Bickerstaff. “It ended up working out where he did come back [from France] and we didn’t sign the free agents. And so he was thrown into the fire. And in the fire, he stole minutes and then stole the job, basically.”

A second-round pick who arrived late to camp, Parsons leapt into the starting lineup by the seventh game of his rookie season. He hasn’t looked back since.

As a rookie, Parsons proved he could score in the open floor, pull up from distance, attack off the dribble and share the ball effectively—a prototype wing of modern day hoops, if you will—and it earned him NBA All-Rookie Second-Team honors. By the following year, he was averaging over 15 points and 5 rebounds a night. He upped his numbers to 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists by his third season.

“They took me with their third pick—they took Marcus Morris and Donatas Motiejunas in the first round,” recalls Parsons of that Rockets’ rookie class. “But coach [Kevin] McHale just believed in me enough to give me that opportunity and not send me down to the D-League. To then basically starting me after the team got off to a slow start—I think it was a huge step for me, knowing I belonged and knowing he believed in me. I’ve been a starter ever since.”

While his talent and skill set have certainly played a huge role, there’s a lot to be said about Parsons’ competitiveness and confidence, both of which Bickerstaff experienced first hand when the two met in the spring of 2011.

“The first interaction I had with him was in a draft workout in Minnesota,” says Bickerstaff, who was working as an assistant coach for the Timberwolves before moving to the Rockets’ bench that summer. “In the workout, there was another player that played the same position as Chandler and that was supposed to be ranked higher than him. Chandler came up to me—he didn’t actually know me from anyone—and asked me to put the matchup so that he could go up against this other player that was supposedly a better player than him, so that everyone that was watching the workout could see that he was better than him. And Chandler, in the workout, proved to be better.”

His first season was cut short after he suffered a microfracture injury in his right knee in early April. He missed the rest of the regular season, and though he tried to suit up in the Playoffs, it turned out he’d need an arthroscopic surgery to address the cartilage injury and then a long rehab process. As if that wasn’t enough, last season was cut short once again, this time in March due to season-ending surgery to address a torn meniscus in the same knee.

“Going through a nine-month rehab process where I learned how to walk again after the microfracture to then playing the best I’ve ever played in my career for three months to now having to miss the Playoffs again for the second year was probably the toughest thing I ever had to go through as a player,” recalls Parsons, who last year produced career-highs in overall field goal percentage (49.2 percent) as well as from behind the arc (41.4 percent). “After going through that grind, working extremely hard to get back to being an even better basketball player than I was before—[the torn meniscus] was obviously devastating.”

And then there was also the fact that he had the option to become an unrestricted free agent this past summer for the first time in his career.

“So then it was—is it career ending? Is it not career ending? And is this going to affect my contract this summer?” That’s what was going through his head this spring, he says. “So just having to deal with that and letting the team down and not being part of the Playoffs—worrying about the contract, worrying if I could ever be the same player again—all of that hit me at the same time.

“I think going through these struggles have made me appreciate the grind more,” he continues. “It has made me appreciate the work more and it’s going to make me appreciate this year because of all the time and dedication I put into working my way back.”

In Memphis, he joins a veteran core group made up of Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Tony Allen, and he strengthens a Grizzlies team that—despite a slow start (4-4)—is already known as one of the most disciplined in the League.

“I think he’s a perfect complement to the core of this team,” says Bickerstaff. “You first have to look at the job those guys have done. They have a long track record of success. There’s a need for the skill set that Chandler has because Chandler doesn’t have to dominate the ball to be effective. And I think that’s what this team is—a bunch of unselfish superstars. And Chandler fits in that mold. He’s a guy that can bolster without interfering or stepping on toes because naturally that is not his game.”

CP’s against-the-odds success story has translated into a plethora of off-the-court opportunities for the swingman, who turned 28 on the eve of the 2016 season opener. He’s become known as one of the best-dressed players in the League, and brands have taken notice. In 2014, he partnered with Stance to create his own signature line of socks.

“I think you can rock whatever you want to rock as long as you’re confident,” says Chandler of his fashion mantra. “I’m very hands-on when it comes to pressing the buttons for the socks line. I was very involved in the process, emailing back and forth with the guys, doing different designs and colorways for Stance. It’s just something I enjoy. It’s fun and just another hobby of mine.”

Heading into training camp, Parsons was already back on the hardwood, running and taking jumpers, although he hadn’t been cleared to play 5-on-5 yet. And while he aimed to be ready to go by opening night, he wasn’t rushing it. He understands why he’s in Memphis and the long-term plans of the franchise.

“Basically, what it came down to—me being a priority for them and basically [new head coach David] Fizdale explaining how he’s used the wings that he’s had, like Joe Johnson in Atlanta and LeBron and D-Wade in Miami. He sees me in a similar-type role as those guys, which is obviously flattering. I’m ready for that challenge.”

Vince Carter lofted a high-arching and perfectly-timed pass to Marc Gasol, who gently guided the ball into the hoop for a dramatic 108-107 victory Tuesday night against the visiting Denver Nuggets.

Carter finished with 20 points and Gasol chipped in 19 for the Memphis Grizzlies, who put an end to a two-game skid.

Emmanuel Mudiay had 23 points and Danilo Gallinari added 21 for the Nuggets.

Per the AP:

“I had progressions, I had a couple of options, but I just had to be patient while still keeping the 5-second violation in mind,” Carter said. “It’s a stressful situation, but I’ve been in it before. I know how to relax and take my time.”

“The play was executed to perfection,” Carter said. “I just wanted to put it up there where only Marc could get it and let him take care of the rest.”

Gasol said the key to the play was the experience of Carter. […] “The guy guarding the inbounds pass jumped too early,” Gasol said. “That opened up the passing angle and Vince made a great pass.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/watch-marc-gasol-tips-game-winner-vs/feed/02016 NBAEMEMPHIS, TN - NOVEMBER 8: Marc Gasol #33 of the Memphis Grizzlies shoots the ball to win the game against the Denver Nuggets on November 8, 2016 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)WATCH: CJ McCollum Ties Career High With 37 Points Against Grizzlieshttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/watch-cj-mccollum-ties-career-high-37-points-grizzlies/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/watch-cj-mccollum-ties-career-high-37-points-grizzlies/#respondMon, 07 Nov 2016 01:16:32 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=415637

The Blazers beat the Grizzlies in Memphis today, thanks in large part to a monster game from McCollum.

The 2016 Most Improved Player had it going today against the Grizzlies, scoring 37 points on 13/23 from the field and 6/12 from deep. McCollum’s stellar performance helped the Blazers get a road win, 100-94, and move to 4-3 on the season.

Despite playing in just 61 games last season, the Memphis Grizzlies signed Chandler Parsons to a huge 4-year, $95 million deal. Memphis will finally get a chance to see its prized free agent acquisition in action as he is set to make his season debut against Portland today.

Parsons has been recovering from a knee injury that ended his 2015-16 season in March.

Vince Carter doesn’t want to taint the memory of his legendary performance in the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk contest, and despite a recently-circulated clip teasing the possibility of the 39-year-old improbably re-entering the contest, VC says it’s not gonna happen.

Carter believes he can still perform at least one of the jams from that unforgettable evening in Oakland.

Per NBA.com:

“I could probably do one, and I’d probably need a day before I’d do another. I could do some stuff, but not enough to win a dunk contest. With what these guys are doing now? Yeah, right.”

The thing is, this whole thing makes a certain sense: Fans were willing to believe Vince may be back because, after all, this is still Vince Carter that we’re talking about. Following that incredible 2000 Dunk Contest, Vince walked away from dunk contests leaving the crowd wanting more, a thirst that apparently remains unquenched.

“I get all of that,” Carter allows. “I’m just like, this is frustrating. I’ve never even talked about it. I didn’t even say that I would win it. I didn’t even say that I would compete in it. And why would I want to mess with the memory of that magical night back in 2000?”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/vince-carter-confirms-wont-2017-dunk-contest/feed/02016 NBAEMEMPHIS, TN - OCTOBER 1: Vince Carter #15 of the Memphis Grizzlies smiles during an open practice on October 1, 2016 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)Mike Conley Motivated By Criticism of $153 Million Contracthttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/mike-conley-motivated-criticism-153-million-contract/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/mike-conley-motivated-criticism-153-million-contract/#respondMon, 31 Oct 2016 17:50:57 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=414788

Opposing fans have been serenading the 29-year-old with derisive chants.

Per Sporting News:

“I told Mike after I congratulated him on the contract, “get on your knees and thank God you had the leverage to get this kind of money, and one other thing: You better put on a flak jacket,” (former coach Lionel) Hollins said. “I told Mike, from here on that’s a big target on your chest.”

During the Grizzlies loss (to the Knicks), as Conley sat on the bench during this restricted-minutes phase of his season — he’s still recovering from an Achilles tendon injury that ended his 2015-16 season — he was serenaded with chants of “overrated.” That’s tame compared to what he might face down the road when he goes into some of the toughest arenas in the NBA, which he lists as Golden State, Toronto and, it almost goes without saying, Philadelphia.

“It doesn’t bother me, at all,” he said. “It’s part of it. I’m in a blessed situation. When I hear the talk, when I look on my phone and see messages on Twitter about it, it really pushes me, to be honest. So I know it’s going to come. There’s gonna be a lot of talk about it all season, no question. But it’s already here. I almost look forward to playing on the road, for that very reason.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/mike-conley-motivated-criticism-153-million-contract/feed/02016 Getty ImagesNEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 29: Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies looks on against the New York Knicks during the second half at Madison Square Garden on October 29, 2016 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)D.J. Stephens Arrested for Domestic Aggravated Assaulthttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/d-j-stephens-arrested/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/d-j-stephens-arrested/#respondThu, 27 Oct 2016 16:30:05 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=414316

According to the arrest affidavit, the incident occurred at 5:45 p.m. Monday outside a home in the 6900 block of Waters Bend Cove. The woman told police that she and Stephens were arguing when he grabbed her wrists and pushed her down. She told police that when she got up Stephens grabbed her by her neck and threw her on the ground.

When she got up again, she said, Stephens grabbed her arm and threw her to ground again, causing her to hit her head on the pavement. She told police that Stephens left on foot as she lay on the ground dazed with blurry vision.

She then called 911 and was taken to Methodist Germantown. Police interviewed her at the hospital where they reported that she had several cuts and scratches on her arms, a cut on her nose and face, scrapes on her neck, a cut on her lip and a bloody and swollen left eye.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/d-j-stephens-arrested/feed/02016 NBAEHOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 15: D.J. Stephens #20 of the Memphis Grizzlies goes up for a lay up during a preseason game against the Houston Rockets on October 15, 2016 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)Report: Chandler Parsons Will Not Be Cleared For Grizzlies Openerhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/report-chandler-parsons-will-not-cleared-grizzlies-opener/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/report-chandler-parsons-will-not-cleared-grizzlies-opener/#respondTue, 25 Oct 2016 16:01:07 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=413880

As the Grizzlies newest addition recovers from knee surgery, the team is exercising caution.

The 28-year-old Parsons has been limited in preseason and according to reports, Memphis fans will have to wait to see what their new addition brings, as the team will not clear Parsons—who had a second knee surgery in May—for the opener.

Here’s more from ESPN:

Forward Chandler Parsons will not be cleared to play in the Memphis Grizzlies’ season opener as the team continues to exercise caution in his return from the second surgery on his right knee, coach David Fizdale told reporters Monday.

The knee was the primary reason that the Dallas Mavericks did not attempt to re-sign Parsons, who signed a four-year, $94 million maximum contract with the Grizzlies in free agency. Parsons had season-ending surgeries on the knee each of the past two years.

Parsons began full participation in Grizzlies practices last week and hoped to be cleared to play in the opener. He told ESPN over the weekend that he was experiencing “no problems at all with the knee.” However, Parsons understood that the Grizzlies would err on the side of caution after making such a major financial investment in him, plus he needs to work his way into basketball shape.

Carter, 39, is entering his 19th NBA season in the last year of a three-year deal with the Griz. His mind is as open as (Griz coach David) Fizdale’s to an indiscriminant role. The slam dunk champion-turned-three-point-gunner won’t have a defined position, yet he is expected to be in Fizdale’s rotation.

“I’m OK with that. I’ve prepared myself to be that guy,” Carter said. “It’s a role I embrace. With that, comes responsibility and I like that. (Playing time) is going to vary from game to game I’m sure. Some games will be big minutes. Some games will be shorter minutes. The bigger picture is, when I’m on the floor, to do my job.”

Carter will earn slightly more than $4 million this season. The Griz can waive him at any time but would owe Carter $2 million. His 40th birthday is in late January – roughly midway through the season – but there are no indications that the Griz plan to part with the likely Hall of Famer. […] Carter is ahead of Charles Barkley (23,757) and just behind Allen Iverson (24,368) with 23,969 points on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Carter averaged 6.6 points and shot 35 percent from three-point range for the Griz during the 2015-16 season.

After being decimated by injuries last season, the last thing Memphis Grizzlies fans want to hear is one of the team’s top players is hurt before the regular season tips off.

During last night’s game against the Rockets, Memphis fans held their collective breath when Gasol was subbed out went tot he locker room with an apparent ankle injury. Declared nothing more than a sore right ankle, Gasol insisted that he was okay, telling ESPN that he was getting his ankle iced:

“I didn’t have to leave the game. I got subbed out,” said Gasol, who played 20 minutes of the Grizzlies’ 134-125 victory. “Then just used (the time on the bench) to get some ice and remove my ankle tape. That was all.”

Gasol went to the locker room after exiting the game and returned in the fourth quarter. During the overtimes, he was standing up and walking around with no problems. At one point, he was bouncing up and down in front of the Grizzlies’ bench during a timeout.

Gasol played in just 52 games last season and underwent surgery in February to repair a non-displaced Type II fracture of the navicular bone in his right foot. The former Defensive Player of the Year took to Twitter to reiterate that he was fine:

The Memphis Grizzlies have high hopes for their 2016 free agent acquisition, Chandler Parsons, and new head coach David Fizdale envisions Parsons taking on a LeBron James-type role.

Fizdale, who was an assistant in Miami during the Big 3 era, told ESPN that Parsons and LeBron have “the same skill set:”

“When I said I want to play him like LeBron, I do,” Fizdale said. “I really do want to use him, because there’s not many guys in the League at that size that have that skill set, and there’s no reason why I should put a cap on his abilities because his name isn’t LeBron James. I just see the same skill set.

“He’s not a high flyer like LeBron obviously, but he can pass it, he can shoot the 3, he’s huge, he can post guys and he moves great without the basketball, so I can move him around in a lot of different spots. I do not want to put a ceiling on him. I want to see how far we can go with him and put him in a role that is positionless. … I think all it takes is a coach showing that he has the confidence in a guy to do it and develop him according to the system and then it can take place.”

Z-Bo will be replaced in the starting lineup by third-year forward JaMychal Green.

Per the Commercial Appeal:

“He’s been incredible about the whole situation. He’s embracing that role,” Fizdale said about Randolph. “Like I told him, ‘Most likely no one is going to pay you to be a starter from here on out. Let’s audition you for what you can be for the rest of your career.’ And it really clicked with him. And we’re going to go after Sixth Man of the Year. I want to highlight the hell out of him in that second unit. I want him to be a leader in that second unit.”

“I’m fine with it,” Randolph said. “You know how I am. Whatever is best for the team. I feel like I can be a starter, of course, and carry a team like I did last year. But I’m being positive and staying ready. If Coach (Fizdale) wants me to play 10 minutes, I’ll come in and play the hardest 10 minutes.” […] Fizdale informed Randolph of his decision near the start of training camp. The move is designed to help the starters begin games with a quicker pace and add scoring punch to the second unit.

“So for a guy like him to come off the bench and embrace it that shows you how much Zach cares about this and how much he’s a professional,” Griz center Marc Gasol said. “I’ve never been in that position and I hope I’ll never be. With the type of guy that I am, I don’t know how I’d take it. But Zach took it the best I’d imagine anybody taking it. He’s carried us for many years. Now, we’ve got to make his job easier.” […] Randolph was moved to the bench for 15 games last season under former Griz coach Dave Joerger. Randolph said that experience combined with how Fizdale presented his role this time made the decision easy to digest.

At the 2013 NBA Draft combine, D.J. Stephens posted a 46-inch running vertical leap, the highest ever recorded by the NBA. Last night, Stephens, who is hoping to earn a spot with the Memphis Grizzlies, used every bit of his impressive vertical when he grabbed an alley-oop pass to throw down a massive dunk.

The Grizzlies, in collaboration with the National Civil Rights Museum, unveiled the team’s “MLK 50” attire Wednesday at the historic Lorraine Motel. The sleek new design is part of the upcoming of remembrance of the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination in Memphis. The @memgrizz #MLK50Pride uniform’s use of iconic imagery,color & […]

Just before 7 p.m., Vince Carter stepped to the stage and unveiled the newest Grizzlies uniform. It is a somber black, both understated and respectful. The typeface of the word “Memphis” derives from the historic sign at the Lorraine Motel. The uniform piping replicates the railing and balconies of the motel. The sea foam color that accents the uniform is the same color as the doors of rooms 306 and 307, where Martin Luther King Jr. spent his final moments.

And then there is the wreath. Right in the center of the uniform. It represents the wreath that hangs from the balcony at our most tragic and challenging civic landmark and symbolizes the hard work that remains to be done.

Wednesday’s uniform unveiling was the climax of a “bridge of opportunity” discussion hosted by the Grizzlies at the National Civil Rights Museum. It came in the wake of the decision by the NBA to move the Grizzlies off the MLK Day schedule and instead give them a nationally televised game on Sunday, Jan. 15. That decision enraged a lot of Memphians. Even on MLK Day, the league seemed less concerned with appropriateness and decency than TV ratings and cash.

39-year-old Vince Carter has designs on playing for two more years, which would give him 20 years of service in the NBA. The grizzled veteran forward says his love of the game remains as strong as ever. Carter remains a solid contributor in Memphis—he averaged 6.8 points in 13 minutes a night last season, while […]

“We know No. 19 is definitely going to go down. I’m shooting for 20, and we’ll go from there after that.”

Why does he keep coming back?

“Love for the game. Nothing else. I just love to play. It’s not out of me yet. When I don’t want to play and don’t want to put the work in, that’s when I step away from the game, but right now I still love it.”

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/vince/feed/02016 NBAEDALLAS, TX - APRIL 8: Vince Carter #15 of the Memphis Grizzlies during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on April 8, 2016 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Danny Bollinger/NBAE via Getty Images)Kings Signing Matt Barnes to Two-Year, $12 Million Dealhttp://www.slamonline.com/nba/kings-signing-matt-barnes-two-year-12-million-deal/
http://www.slamonline.com/nba/kings-signing-matt-barnes-two-year-12-million-deal/#respondMon, 04 Jul 2016 13:20:05 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/?p=403239

Matt Barnes is headed to Sacramento. The Kings have reportedly come to terms with the free agent forward on a two-year, $12 million pact. Matt Barnes deal with Kings is for 2 years for $12 million. Second season is a player option. — James Ham (@James_Ham) July 4, 2016 For what it's worth, DeMarcus Cousins […]

Barnes, 36, averaged 10 points and five boards for the Memphis Grizzlies last season.

Per CSN Bay Area:

Barnes spent last season playing under coach Dave Joerger in Memphis and instantly provides depth at the small forward position for the Kings. The versatile, but volatile wing averaged 10.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 28.8 minutes per game last season with Memphis. Despite his advancing age for an NBA player, Barnes is known as a gritty defender and plays with a toughness the Kings desperately need.

Like Garrett Temple, who Sacramento signed earlier Sunday, this is the second tour of duty for Barnes with the Kings. The 36-year-old forward played 43 games during the 2004-05 season for the Kings before being sent to Philadelphia, along with Chris Webber and Michael Bradley for Brian Skinner, Kenny Thomas and Corliss Williamson.

Barnes made a surprise appearance at DeMarcus Cousins youth basketball camp at Sacramento High. He was very clear during that visit that he would love to come back to Sacramento and finish out his 13-year career that includes stops with the Clippers, Kings, 76ers, Knicks, Warriors, Suns, Magic, Lakers and Grizzlies.

Mike Conley is about to get paid. The free agent point guard, who played in just 56 games last season thanks to an Achilles injury, has reportedly agreed in principle to a five-year, $153 million deal to stay put in Memphis. The deal, as it stands, is the largest in League history.

The 28-year-old point guard has never made an All-Star appearance and has career averages of 13.6 points, 5.6 assists, 2.9 boards and 1.5 steals.

After two injury-filled seasons in Dallas, Parsons was not offered the max by the Mavericks. The 27-year-old wing reportedly received a maximum contract from the Blazers, but Parsons ultimately decided that Memphis was the better fit.

Source: Chandler Parsons has agreed to a four-year max deal with the Grizzlies.